LAFC oust Cruz Azul to reach Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals

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·15 de abril de 2026

LAFC oust Cruz Azul to reach Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals

By Jaime Uribarri

LAFC earned a 1-1 draw at LIGA MX giants Cruz Azul on Tuesday to qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

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Denis Bouanga buried a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to complete the 4-1 aggregate quarterfinal victory at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, following the Black & Gold's 3-0 win in Leg 1.

Gabriel Fernández struck early for the hosts, opening the score from the PK spot after a video review call against Sergi Palencia.

Cruz Azul stayed on the offensive, inspiring a Man-of-the-Match performance from LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who made eight saves. In the game's dying moments, Bouanga put the series to bed.

LAFC will face either LA Galaxy or back-to-back LIGA MX champs Toluca later this month in the semifinals.

Goals

18' - CAZ - Gabriel Fernández (PK) | WATCH
90+7' - LAFC - Denis Bouanga | WATCH

Lineups

THE BIG PICTURE: Job done in Mexico. The Black & Gold bent but didn’t break and got a positive result in hostile territory for a well-deserved spot in the semifinals. They’re now one step closer to their third Champions Cup final, after runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2023.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Hugo Lloris prevented Cruz Azul from getting a second goal just before the halftime break with this spectacular save.

Hugo Lloris keeps it a two-goal LAFC lead on aggregate just before half 😮‍💨 @LAFC | @TheChampions
– miércoles, 15 de abril de 2026

MAN OF THE MATCH: A game-changing goalkeeper for over two decades, Lloris continues to grow his legend at age 39.

Next Up

CAZ: Saturday, April 18 vs. Club Tijuana | 7 pm ET | LIGA MX Clausura
LAFC: Sunday, April 19 vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 7 ET (Apple TV) | MLS regular season